After the highs of her 2022 Wimbledon win and the lows of the injuries and inconsistencies that followed, Elena Rybakina is finally back on top again. The journey was tough, especially with the suspension of her coach Stefano Vukov that disrupted her 2025 season – an experience that Rybakina has finally opened up about.

“It was a very unpleasant experience, but I learned a lot from it. I realized who my close people are, whom I can trust. Now I am satisfied with my team. I hope that all this will be left behind and we will only achieve the highest peaks,” said Rybakina, following her 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 Australian Open triumph over Aryna Sabalenka.

In January 2025, Vukov was provisionally suspended by the WTA for breaching its Code of Conduct after concerns had begun to arise about Vukov’s behavior towards the 26-year-old. Rybakina parted ways with Vukov just before the 2024 US Open but brought him back on shortly before the suspension.

Despite the suspension, Rybakina defended her coach and continued to work with him in an unofficial capacity. “I don’t agree with a lot of things the WTA do in the sense of my relationship with Stefano,” said Rybakina at the time.

Vukov lodged an appeal for his suspension with the WTA, which was granted shortly before the US Open, after which he made an official return to Team Rybakina in August.

However, in protest, Rybakina even refrained from posing for a photograph with WTA Tour chief executive Portia Archer after her WTA Finals victory in Riyadh in November.

Rybakina said back in 2025, “I never had any issues with him, so for me it’s just nice to see him in the box. We obviously have good communication, and we never had an issue.”

As for her Australian Open victory, Rybakina revealed that she was very emotional ahead of the final but spoke of how Vukov’s guidance influenced her performance.

“I think it’s a big help because of course he knows me the best. With his advice on the court, during the matches, it definitely makes a difference. Same as my other team members,” she said ahead of the final.

Meanwhile, her decision to keep Vukov on her team remains a controversial one, and a former WTA star had some thoughts to share on the matter. Especially after Rybakina’s uptick in form since Vukov’s return.

Four-time Grand Slam champion shares take on Elena Rybakina’s resurgence after Stefano Vukov’s return

Although Vukov faced a one-year ban from the WTA for alleged “abusive conduct” towards Elena Rybakina, Vukov has returned to her team and was even awarded a trophy on court in recognition of his work with the 26-year-old at the final.

Reflecting on the matter, former Russian four-time Grand Slam doubles winner Elena Vesnina shared her unfiltered opinion on the matter.

“I think Elena has calmed down because she’s got someone back who knows her very well, knows her strengths and weaknesses, and understands how to, so to speak, awaken her,” said Vesnina.

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“Because I think Elena, due to her somewhat phlegmatic temperament, can sometimes seem to retreat into herself and reflect. And Stefano Vukov knows how to bring her back to the right state with his own methods: ‘So, you’re on the court. You’re winning, come on, you’re a machine, you’re working,’” she added.

Vukov has worked with Rybakina since 2019, though his coaching tactics have come under heavy fire. At the 2023 Australian Open, the 36-year-old was under heavy fire for his seemingly harsh comments from the player’s box during the final.

But for much of last year, Rybakina was without Vukov at official tournaments and practices. During that same span, she suffered early exits at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, along with more early exits at various WTA tournaments.

Despite the controversial reinstatement, Rybakina’s form began to improve upon Vukov’s return, during which she won the title at Ningbo and went on to make a last-gasp surge into the top 8. She reached the WTA Finals by a hair’s breadth only to go and win it all. And finally, with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup in tow, Rybakina finally looks set to deliver on the promise she showed in 2022.